The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-05-05
Che q~tttalGge1usn
wmEELINa. ". VA, MAY ., 1887.


the auspices OF Henry George, Rev. DR..
McGlynn and others what is called m
"Anti.P Poverty Society" They hold that
poverty Ia something for which poor pco'
pie as a rule are not responsible. They
hold society mainly responsible. They
arraign tho laws that exist In regard to
property, especially landed property, 90 in
tho main responsible for the fact that 30
much misery and crime under the general
name Of poverty existinthe world. There.
ioro they are going to soto ioota agitation
that will reach the law makers and com
pei them to legislste for the eradication Of
poverty.
This Ia a beautiful theory and one that
cap.ivatest the ear and touches the heart as
VIC read the phraseoIogy employed by the
speakers. None Gun turn 9 deal car to the
portrsyals OF He among the poor 20 it ex
iats In a great city like New York. 1t is
an old, old atory, and 40 one denies Ito
truth or falls to lament It. All good peo-
ple bewaii tho mistortunes Of their fellow
men, and all good people would BIO glad to
SEQ q reform that would, II pousible, rectify
any species OF misery.
But Bympathy is one thing and fact ia
another. We lament very much in this
world that Is ineradicsble in its nature.
We lament accidents to life and limb. We
lament cyclones, earthquakes and other
calamities that happen and that We can.
not prevent. I'VE wonder why the Crea.
tor could not have 80 ordered at the be.
ginning that these things Hhould never
have happened. Thore arc those who
oven deny the existence OF q God because
they do happen, and contend that nature
lisa mere blind and unsympathetic force.
Ba. lament as We may, We are sure that
all the name they will continue to take
place.
Now oil misery and all sin are part and
parcel Of life rs 1t has alwayB manifested
itself throughout historic time. We have
no knowledge OF q timo or q planet in
which they have not obtained. This 10
not denying aught Of the power Of man
to ameliorato misery. We know and We
are thankful for what has been done by
the humane for the betternent Of our
fellow men. We know that tho world
has been lifted TO a higher plane by the
dseds and examples and sacriIces Of good
men and women for hundreds OF years.
We have faith to believe that it will be
lifted still higher, and to such an extent
that the condition OF the future will DO
perhaps ss much superior to the cordi-
ton OF to-day as the condition OF to-day
is to that Of the past.
1t is the duty OF all OF Us to labor on in
this direction and in this faith. This is
what we are here for, to do our share for
tho good OF the world. But when this is
said all that is practicable has been said.
We have got to eucceed within the lines
and on the lines Of human nature. We
have got to take into the account the in
centives that inspire mankind to action in
this world. We cannot abrogats these in
centivcs with impunity. We cannot place
all men on a level and say that their va
rious capacities Tor achievement shall be
held down to o common level; TINT they
shall oil BIZ poor together or all rich to-
gether; that tho industrious and energetic
aud economical shall be weighted down
with the lazy and tho thriftless, as sinbad
was with the Old Man OF the Sea-, and that
they ahall either sink under this burden
or carry it up with them. No. VIC cnn
never rearrange tho world on any such
Utopian programme.
What can we do then in the direction
pointed out by George, McGlynn & Co.?
Simply what humane effort has done in
tho past, only on a more generous scale,
just ns the meanB increase for
greater achievement in that direc.
ton. And VIC know as q matter Of
fact that at no time since c~iviliza.
ton began were such comprehensive
measures on foot for the good OF humanity
as in this our day. At no time was char
ity 80 abundant or man and women moro
willing to help the helpleas. The person
who does not know this is poorly informed
indeed. 5
This being true, the whole solution OF
this mos. difficult Of problems lie, in the
Language OF Abraham Lincoln, to "move on
in tho right rs God gives US to understand
the right" and not to branch of and fol.
low a will.o'.the-wisp that 10 misleading
and detrimental. The only reform that
Withstand sone that reaches the individual
poor and deals with him accordingly to
the nature and responsibility Of his pov.
erty. It is to ascertain first why he ia
poor and miserable. In the countless ma.
iority OF csses it will DO found that the
individual himself contributes chiefly to
his own poverty. We know as an indis.
putable fact that poverty in cities results
largely IRON dissipation. 1t is strong drink
now asin thedays ofsolomon, tina" clothes
a man in raga." Not only clothes the
man thus, but also his wife and children.
The ssme factor is not only largely re-
sponsible ior poverty but also for crime.
All the statistics Of police courts, alms
houses, cfimina! institutions, and in some
asyluma, chow this. II is this agency a
thousand fold more than any land ques.
ton that Is responsible for the poverty
and misery Of individuals and iamilies.
Up to this timo what has the land quea-
ton had to do with poverty and misory
in this country? Its influence has been
80 ininitessimal rs to be inappreciable.
But, on the contrary, what has becn the
agency OF strong drink? Who ahall tell
,,a TINT 2 Who can estimate Il In fcurcs? |